Combined weeder and cultivator.



C. H. CRAWFORD. comameo WEEDER AND cuLnvATbR. APPHCATION FILED NOV. 12, 1915. 1 ,176,883, I Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- J? as Z1 J? 60 (7 Z J a n Y C. H, CRAWFORD.

COMBINED WEEDER AND CULTIVATOR. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12. 1915.

Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CARL H. CRAWFORD, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

commits!) WEEDER AND cu TIvA'ron.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

Application filed November 12, 1915. Serial No. 61,178.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL H. CRAWFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Weeders and Cultivators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to combined cultivators and weeders .and has to do more particularly with improvements on machines of that general character, such as is disclosed in my application filed 'October 12, 1915,

Serial Number 55,427.

The object of this invention is to provide a frame which is carried in a predetermined and substantially horizontal position by -bearing wheels and to provide a weeding and cultivating rod which is adapted to automatically be depressed under the soil surface as the machine is advanced.

A further and very particular object of the invention is to dispose the rod in front of the axle so that it will at all times be visible, as regards its operation, to the rider of the vehicle, and whereby the rod may extend beyond lateraLmost bearing wheels so as to cultivate and weed a swath in excess'of the width of the machine. i

It is a further novelfeature of the invention to lift the rod forwardly, when the rod is taken out of the ground, so as to render it practical to dispose the rod infront of the rear bearing wheels. In this connection, it is a novel feature to combine the means for taking therod out of the ground, with the means for limiting depression of the rod into the ground.

Other novel and important objects and features of the invention will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be more particularly pointed out in and by the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view in side-elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of one of the hangers provided with a shoe for insertion into the surface soil. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4- '4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 3.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawings.

I have shown a bearing structure which includes a rectangular fralnejcomprising 'ment 9 to which a front andrear members 1 and 2 and end members 3. An axle 4 is journaled in said frame and bearing wheels 5 are mounted on said axle torotate the latter as the vehicle or structure is advanced. My improved vehlcle also includes an A-frame 6 which con-, verges from its points of anchorage with the rectangular frame toward the tongue 7 to which the forward ends of the A-frame 6 are fastened as indicated atS. The A-frame 6 is provided with a transverse reinforceyoke 10 of a bearing caster wheel 11 is swiveled. It will be seen from the foregoing, that this frame is mounted upon bearing wheels which support the frame in a predetermined position with respect to the soil surface, as distinguished from my former two-wheel ve-' hicle in which the frame is tiltably mounted upon the axle.

Loosely mounted upon the axle 4 is a spur gear 12 which is provided with oppositely disposed clutch hubs 13 having clutch teeth. Clutches 14 .are non-rotatively mounted on the axle 4 and are urged by springs 15 into clutch engagement with the spur gear 12 so as to rotate the latter when the axle 4 turns. This arrangement gives the necessary difi'erential when the vehicle is turned around or advanced in a curved course. A counter-shaft 16 is provided with a spur gear 17 which meshes with spur gear 12 and is driven thereby. Counter-shaft 16 is mounted upon the vehicle by means of transverse braces 18 and 19 and on the counter-shaft 16 is a sprocket wheel 20.

Hanger shafts 21 are suitably journaled in the rectangular frame and in the A-frame so as to be disposed in alinement with counter-shaftv 16, and on each of the hanger shafts 21 is mounted the rod hanger 22 in which the rotating weeding and cultivating rod 23 is journaled. The hangers 22 are of such lengths, and they are pivotally mounted upon the shaft 21 in such a manner that when they approach a vertical position, the lower ends of the hangers-22 will enter the surface soil to a depth approximately about four or five inches. The greater the approach to a vertical position, of said hangers 22, the greater their extent of entrance into the surface soil. The hangers 22 are the end hangers, or strictly speaking, bear- I will now describe in detail with reference more particularly to Figs. 3, 4 and 5. On the counter-shaft 16, is journaled a hanger bar 24. In other words, the hanger bar 24 is journaled so that its axis willrbe coincion rod '23 is mounted a small-sprocket 26 over which a sprocket chain 27 is trained. Said sprocket chain 27 is also trained about sprocket wheel 20 so that drive is transmitted from the counter-shaft 16 to the rod 23. Shoe 25 is preferably made up of two sides 28 which converge at their forward edges and which are fastened by bolts or rivets 29. The rear edges of said sides 28 are held in spaced relation by a channel 30 to which the sides 28 are secured by bolts 31. The chain 27 is trained about idlers 32, 33 and 34, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Said shoe is provided with a straight upper front edge 35 which is curved, at 36, the lower forward edge 37 being-inclined forwardly and downtherethrough, and the wardly so as to impart a plow action for entering the surface soil. The bottom of the shoe is inclined, as at 38, from the point 39, rearwardly, so as to give the shoe a tendency to always lower itself into the surface soil, The sides 28 are cut away as shown at 40 and 41 to permit projection of the rod lower edges of the sides are held apart from each other by spacing strip 42. Fiber or wood or like bearings 43 and 44 are supported in position against the outside faces of the sides 28 and cu sides 28, as indicated at 47. In order to further increase the dirt-proof effectiveness of this bearing, I interpose felt strips 48, 49, 50 and 51, so as effectively to prevent entrance of dirt into the bearing, and into the shoe. Thus the chain 27 will always run on a clean sprocket and the drive transmission will be positively reduced to the actual power necessary to rotate rod 23.

Owing to the fact that advancing movement of the vehicle will automatically act to depress the hangers and shoe, together with the rod journaled therein, into the soil, and in view of the fact that it is desirable to limit the depth of depression of the rod into the soil, I provide means which combines the function of a rod lifting means and a rod supporting means so that the rod will be prevented from going into the ground beyond the predetermined selective extent and whereby the'rod may be elevated when it is desired not to have the rod enter the soil.

As illustrated, 52 designates a lifting shaft which is journaled in the rectangular frame and to which an arm 53 is rigidly secured. Arm 53 is pivoted at 54.t0 a link 55 and 1ink 55 is pivoted to holders 45 and 46 are secured to the hanger 22, at 56. I n'ria y'have thesame arrangement for the shoe 25 and both hangers 22, if desired. On the shaft 52, is rigidly secured a hand lever 57 which is provided with a grip 58 operatively connected with a sliding bolt 59. Sliding bolt 59 is adapted for engagement with the notches of a segment rack 60 so that lever 57 can be held in any desired position to regulate the depth of depression of the rod 23, in the surface soil, or it can be held in any position to elevate the rod 23 out of the surface soil. Thus it will be seen that link 55 and arm 53 always function as a tension connection to a rest movement of the hangers 22 and the shoe 25 toward a vertical position.

The action of the device is to automatically dig into the ground so that it will not be necessary to impose downward stress upon the rod 23 to bury the same in the soil surface. By reason of this arrangement, it is not necessary to depend upon the weight of the vehicle in order to get traction. Resistance imposed upon the rod 23, either in the tend to release or render less effective the tractive action of the bearing wheel. It is well known that rods of all machines of this type are rotated in a direction reverse to the direction of advancing movement of the machine.

It is believed that the novelty and utility of my invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing description, and while I have herein shown and described one specificform of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I claim- 1. In a weeder and cultivator, a bearing structure including a frame and bearing wheels for supporting said frame in a substantially horizontal position, a weeding and cultivating rod, means suspending said rod from said bearing structure and causing said rod to enter below the soil surface as the bearing structure is advanced, and mechanism carried by said bearing structure for limiting depression of the rod below the soil surface, substantially as described.

2. In a weeder and cultivator, a bearing structure including a frame and bearing wheels for supporting said frame in a substantially horizontal position, a weeding and cultivating rod, hangers pivoted to said structure and suspending said rod at such an elevation as to cause the rod to enter be-' low the soil surface when the bearing wheels are advancing along the soil surface, mechanism carried by said structure for limiting I structureincluding a frame and bearing wheels for supporting said frame in a substantially horizontal position, a weeding and cultivating rod, means suspending said rod from said structure causing said rod to enter below the soil surface as said structure is advanced along the soil surface, mechanism carried by said frame for limiting depression of said rod below the soil surface and axle for said frame,

lifting said rod above the soil surface, and

mechanism for transmitting rotary motion to said rod from said bearing wheels irrespective of the position of said rod, substantially as described.

4. In a weeder and cultivator, a frame, an axle for saidframe, wheels supporting said frame in substantially a horizontal position and certain of said wheels being mounted on said axle, a weeding and cultivating rod,

hangers pivoted to said frame in front of said axle and supporting said rod below the soil surface, and mechanism in front of said hangers and mounted on said frame for limiting depression of said rod below the soil surface, substantially as described.

5. In a weeder and cultivator, a frame, an

bearing wheels supporting said frame in a substantially horizontal position and certain of'said wheels being mounted on said axle, a, weeding and cultivating rod, hangers pivoted to said frame in. ront of said axle and supporting said rod below the soil surface and forwardly in advance of the bearing wheels of rod being journaled in said said axle, and mechanism in front of said hangers and mounted on said frame for 11miting depression of said rod into the soil surface, substantially as described.

6. In a weeder and cultivator, a frame, an axle for said frame, bearing wheels on 'said axle, a caster wheel supporting said frame in front of said axle, a weeding and cultivating rod, hangers pivoted to said frame between said axle and caster wheel for suspending said rod below said frame and operating to cause said rod to enter the soil surface as the frame is advanced, and draft means applied to said frame, substantially as describe g 7. In a weeder and cultivator, a frame, wheels supporting said frame in a substantially horizontal position, a weeding and cultivating rod, hangers pivoted to said frame and depending therefrom toward the soil surface a distance sufficient to cause the lower ends of said hangers to enter the soil surface when said hangers are vertically disposed, or approaching the vertical, said hangers sulfioiently near the lower ends of the latter to enter the soil surface as said hangers approach a vertical position, and means for holding said hangers at an incline to the vertical to limit depression of the rod into the soil surface, substantially as described. In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

CARL H. CRAWFORD. 

